Tallinn's Telliskivi district redevelopment plan submitted after several years' wait
Tallinn City Government has submitted plans for the revamping of part of Tallinn's Telliskivi quarter, nearly seven years after the plan was first submitted.
Tallinn Deputy Mayor Tiit Terik (Center) said that if the plan gets city council approval, construction could begin in the second half of 2027.
Jarmo Kleimann, head of Tallinn planning at Astri Grupp, developing the project, said the remaining buildings dating from the Soviet era at the Telliskivi 62–64 are earmarked for demolition.
Kleimann was keen to stress this would not be to the detriment of the nightlife in the area – several venues are housed in the buildings likely to be demolished. "Our goal is certainly not to remove life and these establishments from there, but to preserve important places with a good vibe," Kleimann said.
As for a deal signed to open a high-end Radisson Red hotel in the area, Kleimann said while this contract is still valid, its exact terms require reviewing by all parties.
Astri Grupp, which also owns the Balti jaam market, redeveloped several years ago, first submitted the Telliskivi 62–64 plan in 2019.
The area lies in the angle between the market and Kopli and Telliskivi streets (see gallery), and is currently home to a parking lot and several containers which serve mainly as food takeaways, as well as the nightlife venues.
Terik said that the redeveloped zone will include commercial buildings, public squares, urban space development including green areas, as well as an expansion of the market.
"Spatially speaking, it should logically connect the Balti jaam market area with the Telliskivi Creative City, and improve mobility in Kalamaja, particularly from the perspective of light traffic and pedestrians," Terik said.
Terik said cultural life in the quarter continuing to thrive after the development was important to the City of Tallinn.
A mushroom-shaped landmark building designed for the intersection of the extensions of Kopli and Kotzebue streets included in the artists' realization of the plan attracted plenty of public attention when first unveiled, and Terik said this attraction is set to go ahead.
Architecturally and historically valuable factory and industrial buildings, meaning primarily pre-Soviet occupation era, are intended to be preserved and restored too, including a historic railway depot, built in 1870.
The planning zone covers 3.12 hectares.
Kleimann would not be drawn on exact dates, but said that a building permit has already been issued for the former boiler house, with construction due to begin "soon."
The entire region has seen an ongoing facelift over the past decade and a half, and has been transformed from a rather run-down former industrial area to a neighborhood which even attracts foreign tourists.
The detailed plan has been submitted to the city council for approval.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte
